Acute and sub-acute toxicity evaluation of the root extract of Rheum turkestanicum Janisch.

Despite the widespread use of Rheum turkestanicum in herbal medicine, no study has yet examined its in vivo toxicity. The aim of this study is to evaluate the acute and sub-acute toxicity of hydroalcoholic extract of R. turkestanicum root. In acute toxicity experiment, female and male mice (n = 5/group/sex) were orally administrated with the extract at single doses of 300, 2000 and 3000 mg/kg and observed for 14 days. In the sub-acute study, the extract was orally administered daily at doses of 100 and 400 mg/kg to male rats (n = 8) for 4 weeks. During the acute toxicity test, there were no deaths or any signs of toxicity observed after administration of the R. turkestanicum extract at 300 mg/kg, which was the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL). The extract at a dose of 3000 mg/kg led to the death of one female and one male mouse (LD50 > 3000 mg/kg). In sub-acute toxicity experiment, the extract induced no mortality or significant changes in body weight, general behaviors, hematological parameters, serum biochemical factors (related to the kidney and liver function), and histopathology of the heart, liver, kidney, and brain up to the highest dose tested of 400 mg/kg (NOAEL). High-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed the presence of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, alkanes, and anthraquinones in the extract. In conclusion, short-term use of R. turkestanicum root does not appear to produce significant toxicity up to a dose of 400 mg/kg.

Effects of ethanolic extract of Ferula gummosa oleo-resin in a rat model of streptozotocin-induced diabetes.

Previous studies have shown that some plants in the genus of Ferula (Apiaceae) have antidiabetic effects. The present work was aimed to evaluate effects of Ferula gummosa oleo-resin in a rat model of streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Male Wistar rats were randomized into five groups (n = 6): normal control, diabetic control, diabetic rats treated with insulin (3 IU/day), and diabetic rats treated with 100 or 400 mg/kg/day of an ethanolic extract of the oleo-resin. After 4 weeks, blood samples were collected for measuring fasting blood glucose (FBG), lipid profile, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase, blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine. In addition, levels of lipid peroxidation, thiol groups, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were evaluated in the liver and kidney. At the end of the fourth week, the level of FBG in rats treated with 100 mg/kg of the extract was lower than that in diabetic control rats (273 ± 39 mg/dL vs 471 ± 32 mg/dL). Administration of insulin and the extract had no significant effects on the serum lipids. Insulin and both doses of the extract significantly reduced the activity of ALT. In addition, the extract inhibited lipid peroxidation in the kidney and restored the elevated level of SOD in the liver and kidneys. Ferula gummosa oleo-resin has the potential to prevent or delay the complications of diabetes by inhibiting the progression of hyperglycemia and attenuating oxidative stress-induced damage in the liver and kidneys.